April 24, 2014 08:28 PM CDTApril 24, 2014 11:19 PM CDTStars close to icing their best possible lineup for first time in series with Ducks

Stars close to icing their best possible lineup for first time in series with Ducks

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Brad Loper/Staff Photographer

Dallas Stars players celebrate Dallas Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski (33) goal in the third period of Game Four of the NHL Western Conference first round playoff hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. (Brad Loper/The Dallas Morning News)

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Imagine, if you can, the concept that the Stars have not yet iced their best lineup and have not yet played their best hockey.

If you’re a Dallas fan, it’s a thought that’s diabolically delicious.

If you back the Anaheim Ducks, it’s a little bit alarming.

The Stars and Ducks have Game 5 at Honda Center on Friday. With each side winning its two home games so far in the best-of-7 series, it would be easy to say neither has an advantage. Yes, Anaheim is the first seed and the best regular-season team in the West, so it gets two of the final three games at home, and that has to be seen as an advantage.

But Dallas lost both Games 1 and 2 by one goal on the road and could get one of its best players back for Game 5. There’s a good chance Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon plays for the first time in the series. The burly blue liner has been bothered by a lower-body injury and has been nursing it back to health. He practiced for the last three days and is being called a game-time decision by Stars coach Lindy Ruff. But it sure looks like he’s ready to go.

Dillon is a solid, physical defenseman who was third on the team in ice time this season at 21:05. He led the team in hits (168) and was second in blocked shots (149). While the Stars have filled in admirably in his absence, his return allows every defensive pair to be affected in a positive manner.

Dillon will probably come back on the right side on the second pair with Jordie Benn. That would allow Benn to move back to the left side, where he has played most of his career. That should improve the mobility and the defending ability of the second pair.

What’s more, rookie Patrik Nemeth, who missed half of Game 4 with an upper-body injury but is expected to return, could slide back down to the third pair with Sergei Gonchar. Those two played six games together after Nemeth was called up late in the season, and they displayed solid chemistry. Nemeth’s conservative game and desire to stay close to the front of the net worked well with Gonchar’s skill and experience, and that also should mean that pair is improved.

And if the second and third pairs are improved, then there’s a good chance Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley can reduce their minutes. Goligoski is playing 29:08 a game in the playoffs, almost five more minutes than he averaged during the regular season. Daley is playing 5:05 more per game than he did during the regular season.

The Stars have yet to play an overtime game, so bringing some balance back to the blue line could be huge. It also is important on the road to be balanced, so that no pair gets stuck out too long against great players. That happened at times in Games 1 and 2.

Anaheim canceled its practice Thursday and decided to rest. The Ducks are reeling after two games in Dallas in which they were outscored 7-2. They list captain Ryan Getzlaf, who missed Game 4 with an upper-body injury, as questionable and are not naming a starting goalie after pulling Frederik Andersen in Game 4. Matt Beleskey also is not expected to play in Game 5.

“We said right from the start we thought it was going to be a long series, and we still hold our home-ice advantage,” Getzlaf said. “We worked hard during the season to get this, and we’ve got to hold it tomorrow.”

If they don’t, momentum would certainly be on the Stars’ side, with a potential closeout game in Dallas on Sunday (7 p.m.).

“I believe in it,” Ruff said when asked about momentum. “I believe that you can get going, you can get guys feeding off of good offensive streaks, playing well defensively. They grabbed the momentum in Anaheim, we took it back. Now we’ve got to go try to carry it to Game 5.”

Playing their most talented lineup could go a long way in helping that happen.

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